![]() From Italian and German classics to Japanese Car & Motorcycle Day, there is at least one day each year for every enthusiast to bring their car, motorcycle, or vehicle of choice to a crowd of likeminded gearheads. Although some vehicles in the museum’s static collection are more than a hundred years old and aren’t as active as they once were, the museum’s yearly calendar is quite active, with nearly three dozen lawn events held each year during the warmer months. The people behind the museum, John included, have spent decades developing it into a “New England Headquarters” of the automotive world. Every inch of the carriage house is jam-packed with automotive history, and it’s quite a different world in here among the fairly ancient automobiles in combination with the 1800’s architectural workmanship. John, like many others, has been involved with the museum since the age of 13, and is certainly one of its leading experts, so I couldn’t have asked for a better guide.ĭespite the fact that the museum itself is rather small compared to the monstrous collections at the Petersen for example, it does not skimp on the details. John Darack, who was eager to show me around and tell me the museum’s history at great length. Thankfully, a good friend of mine had put me in touch with the chairman of the museum’s board, a Mr. Ghosn said the alliance had enabled the companies to make joint savings of 2.8 billion euros in 2013 and which he hoped would rise to 4.3 billion euros by 2016.īut he said that such "synergies" would not compromise the companies' distinctive culture or brand, saying they would continue to have "a strong Japanese identity, a strong French identity".Although I had done some light reading on the museum and its founders before my visit, I learned so much more from being there, speaking with the curators, and seeing the cars in person. While the Leaf is the clear market leader, Ghosn has previously revealed that Renault, which owns more than 40 percent of the Japanese company, is looking at producing electric cars in China to gain entry to the market. It can reach speeds of up to 150 kilometres (93 miles) per hour and has a range of 200 kilometres. One of the Leaf's chief attractions is its special fast charger which can be fired up in just half an hour, a vast improvement on the eight hours that it takes to recharge batteries linked up to the mains electricity. "It's important because it is the first country that has said this so clearly, and is implementing the necessary legislation, regulations and taxation to make it work." "This is a country that is saying the future is electric and that it wants to design a transport policy that preserve its environment," he said. Ghosn said that while the initial target was to see hundreds of electric vehicles in Bhutan, he said there was no reason why the number could not reach into the thousands with the country's prime minister setting a zero emissions target. "All of it is very closely linked on the development of infrastructures, but we are seeing more and more competitors coming onto the scene which is always a tell-tale sign." As for Renault, sales of the Zoe will increase in 2014. "Sales of the Leaf have now gone past 100,000 and it is now selling at a rate of almost 60,000 a year. "We have to admit that the progress of sales has been slower than we thought it would be but the figures are continuing to grow. "We had set ourselves a goal of selling 1.5 million units (worldwide) between Renault and Nissan by 2016 although we have now pushed that target date back to 2020," he said. Ghosn, who invited AFP and several other media organisations to accompany him on his visit, said that Bhutan could showcase the possibilities for a market which has had to battle complaints about range, performance, re-fuelling infrastructure and comparatively high prices.Īs boss of Nissan and its French partner Renault, Ghosn has been a long-time evangelist for electric vehicles (EVs) and says he remains confident about the future. Speaking in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan where he sealed a deal to supply the government with a fleet of battery-powered Nissan Leafs, Ghosn said the agreement highlighted the potential for the green vehicle market as pressure grows around the world to meet tougher emission standards.
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